


Just You

by ReyNimanSolo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: @reylo_prompts, Angst, Ben Solo - Freeform, F/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Reylo - Freeform, rey niima
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 20:41:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20588774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyNimanSolo/pseuds/ReyNimanSolo
Summary: Rey starts at the first module on Ben’s list, tracing each pathway through his code. Where hers is blunt and utilitarian, his flows like beautiful calligraphy, the structure itself as much a work of art as the code's functional intent. It’s fluid and vibrant. She’s never experienced anything quite like it.It takes her three hours before she hits pay dirt. What she finds leaves her stunned."Oh my god."She snatches her fingers from the keyboard as though it's made of molten metal, sure she's gone crazy. It can't be. Because that would mean he's been planning this from the beginning.~☆~For the following @reylo_prompts:“Drunk one night and annoyed at her boss Ben, Rey composes an email she never intends to send. It starts off complaining about how he’s taken her for granted and how he never appreciates the work she puts in.It unravels into how she wants to run her fingers through his hair, how hot he is, and all of the fantasies she’s had of him.She wakes up the next day and goes to work. That’s when Ben Solo asks to see her in his office. With a printed copy of her email. Highlighted.”





	Just You

**Author's Note:**

> This is my jam. Enjoy!

It's late. The handful of other sorry saps who got roped into working on yet another Saturday left hours ago.

As the clock edges toward midnight, her stomach finally protests loud enough to get her attention. Rey steps away from her desk and bends to touch her toes. Three vertebrae pop with indignant release.

Damn, she's been here for nearly five hours without a break. It’s been productive. She's narrowed it down to a simple transposition error, which is good. Unfortunately, there are countless modules where it could be hiding. Rey guesses another five hours should do it.

Rey stands back at her desk and pulls up the audit log. Her eyebrows scrunch in. Ben’s the only other developer who’s touched the code in over a week. Her stomach growls again, adding a heavy pinch of hunger to its plea for food.

Decision time. Scavenge the dregs of the Saturday night, no make that Sunday morning, office fridge leftovers, or go home and know she has to work again in the morning. The sorry state of her own refrigerator and the desire to sleep in for once on a Sunday make it an easy choice.

She leaves her cubicle and heads for the break room. Rose left half a Bahn mi sandwich earlier in the week and Rey knows it’s still there.

She rounds the corner. Light from an interior office spills into the hallway. Rey hadn't realised anyone else was still in the building. From her cubicle she has an open view of… more cubicles. Her feet stop moving, refusing to go further when she recognises the office with the light on as Ben’s.

A quick spike of excitement stabs through her. In all the time she’s worked here, she’s never been alone with him. Technically, she’s not alone with him now. Rey takes a deep breath.

This is silly. They’re both professionals and he’s her boss. Besides, this is a great opportunity to ask him which modules he’s been tinkering with over the past week. The information will help her narrow down her search for the bad code.

Rey strides through the hallway considering how to approach him. His open door and window slide into view. She glances inside and stops dead.

He’s in his office alright. With his shirt off. Rey stares at his pale broad back, mouth open.

Before she can duck away, he turns, reaching for a fresh shirt laid across his desk. His eyes meet hers. Everything goes still except his eyebrows which almost disappear into his hair.

If Rey thought the back of him was magnificent, the front of him is breathtaking. No wonder his shirt buttons are always working triple time. They have to give everything they’ve got in order to contain the heavy muscles of his chest.

Ben moves first, sliding his arms into the shirt and shrugging it onto his shoulders.

“You’re here late, Ms. Niima.” He keeps his eyes on her while he buttons up.

Rey snaps her mouth closed with a quiet pop. Her cheeks are pure fire.

“Uh, yeah. You… you, too.” She jerks her thumb in the direction of the staff lounge. “I was just seeing if I could find something to eat.”

When the shirt is buttoned, he reaches for his waistband and, oh gods, he’s undoing the belt and fly. Rey stares at a spot over his shoulder while he tucks the shirt into his pants and refastens everything.

Her eyes dart back to him when he drags a hand through his hair. Shit. This is bad. This is really bad.

“Did you need something from me, Ms. Niima?”

Does she? Rey throws what the Americans call a Hail Mary pass.

“Uh, actually, I wanted to ask you about the Skywalker project. There’s a transposition error. The log says you’re the only one who’s worked on it this week.” Rey sucks in a much needed breath so she can continue. “Besides me, I mean.”

He looks somewhat put upon.

“It’s late, Ms. Niima. Can’t this wait until Monday?” He’s gathering his things and shoving them into his case.

It’s easier to manage her raging hormones now that he’s done messing with his clothes and hair.

“I just need to know which modules you worked on so I can rule them out.”

Ben straightens. “You think the error is with my code?”

His look turns thunderous.

“I don’t know where the error is. I’ve already gone through all of my code. It makes sense to go through yours next.”

“Go home, Ms. Niima. I’ll have Paige email you a list.”

“It’s Tallie. You fired Paige three weeks ago.”

His eyes flash. “In that case, I’ll have Tallie email you a list.”

The light in his office goes off as he exits.

He pauses in the doorway, close enough that she can smell the faint scent of his soap.

"Did you need something else, Ms. Niima, or can I leave now?"

"Oh, shit. Sorry." Rey takes two steps back, unblocking his path and giving him room to move past her.

He stays where he is, his eyes roving across her in a way that makes her insides take flight.

"Have a good Sunday," he says.

She watches him walk away until he rounds the corner and disappears from sight. The front door opens then closes, leaving Rey alone with her raging thoughts.

Heart pounding, Rey dashes for the lounge and drinks an entire cup of cold water. She's just gotten her breathing back to normal when her phone dings.

Rey pulls it from her pocket. There are two Slack notifications. The first one informs her she's been added to a new workgroup. The second one sets her heart racing all over again. It's a message from him.

Her hands shake as she pulls up the screen.

_Ben: Time frame on the Skywalker project has moved up. Need a live demo by Monday. Uploaded a list of modules I've been working on. Tell me if there are any problems._

If there are any problems? Of course, there are problems! They were supposed to have another week. Now, she's stuck working all weekend to get his ass out of a bind. Again. The fucking nerve.

She should walk out now and not come back. She's been here just long enough to make herself marketable to other developers. He's taken advantage of her one too many times.

Her phone dings again telling her a new file has been uploaded.

_Ben: Did the file show up?_

_Rey:_ 👍

Rey doesn't feel like chatting with him. He's probably sitting down to some fancy restaurant meal while she keeps trying to work up the courage to eat the soggy, sad remains of Rose's sandwich.

After 15 minutes with nothing more, Rey stands up, tosses the sandwich in the compost bin, and heads home.

She really can't afford it but Rey splurges on take away and a bottle of white wine. Though she knows she shouldn't, she finishes both.

It's four in the morning when she finally slides into bed. The combination of a full tummy and the buzz from the wine lulls her into relaxing. Rey sighs and snuggles deeper into her blankets.

Her eyes close, ready for sleep. Her libido has a different idea.

Ben, shirtless and with his pants undone, pops into her head. Rey groans into her pillow. Why does he have to be so fucking hot? Her hands yearn to run through his hair. She wants to feel its silky texture between her fingers, smell the warm scent of his shampoo up close.

And, speaking of silky, his skin looks amazing. Pale and dotted with the same marks that decorate his face. She wants him shoved up against his desk with her tongue in his mouth and his hands on her body.

Rey falls asleep before she sinks any deeper into fantasyland.

Morning comes and goes. She manages to sleep in even though she didn't intend to. It's the neighbour's derelict kid who finally rouses her with the obnoxious blare of rap music he favours.

Rey cracks a grumpy eye and groans. Almost noon. Fuck. At least her head doesn't hurt. The Vietnamese food seems to have kept her bottle of wine in check.

Rey reviews her phone over some biscuits and coffee. After turning down all the requests for fun from her friends, she switches to the work feed. He's sent a new message. Rey reads the time stamp. 5:30 am. Doesn't the man sleep?

_Ben: Let me know when you're in_

Since she's not technically in yet, Rey doesn't reply. It's a nice fall day and Rey likely won't see much of it for the rest of this weekend. She chooses to walk rather than ride. It adds an extra hour to her day but Rey doesn't care.

Aside from the cleaning crew, she's the only one inside the building. Before heading to her cubicle, she makes absolutely sure of it by walking past his office to put her food in the fridge.

As soon as she logs in, a notification pops up.

Rey debates whether to reply back or get a little work done first. While she hesitates, another notification pops up.

_Ben: You in? I saw you'd read my last message._

_Rey: just got here. what's up?_

_Ben: Any luck with the bug?_

Seriously? What part of 'just got here' doesn't he get?

_Rey: about to get started. why?_

_Ben: Okay. Keep me posted._

She shoots him a thumbs up and hopes he leaves her to it. He does, giving her the space to fall into the work.

Rey starts at the first module on Ben’s list, tracing each pathway through his code. Where hers is blunt and utilitarian, his flows like beautiful calligraphy, the structure itself as much a work of art as the code's functional intent. It’s fluid and vibrant. She’s never experienced anything quite like it.

It takes her three hours before she hits pay dirt. What she finds leaves her stunned.

"Oh my god."

She snatches her fingers from the keyboard as though it's made of molten metal, sure she's gone crazy. It can't be. Because that would mean he's been planning this from the beginning.

Rey grabs her iPad and begins sketching the structure of what she's just seen. It's quick and rough and leaves little room for doubt.

Her computer and phone ding at the same time.

_Ben: Did you find it yet?_

Rey panics.

_Rey: not yet. i'll let you know when i do_

All she has to do is retype three short lines of code and the project will be finished. And so will she. Because what he's written isn't random. The implications are enormous and a little frightening.

Rey logs out and grabs her things. She's never needed fresh air more than she does right now. She makes it as far as the English pub on the corner. A little reminder of home with familiar accents and the comforting taste of a good pint is exactly what she needs to calm her rattled nerves.

Her hands are still shaking when she lifts the first pint to her mouth.

"Rough day, lass?" The bartender is a wizened old woman with thick glasses and a warm smile.

Rey wipes the foam from her upper lip and gives the woman a wan look.

"You could say that, yeah."

"Missing home, are we?"

"Something like that."

"Ah, a laddie then? Got man troubles, do ya child?"

"Yes, no. Maybe?" Rey sighs and takes another sip of beer. "I think I just quit my job."

"Because of this lad of yours?"

"He's not my boyfriend, he's my boss."

"A tough one, that. Good luck ta ya. Always best to follow yer heart, lassie." The bartender moves on to other customers.

Rey stays long enough that a plate of bangers and mash she didn't order shows up. She gets a quick wink from the bartender before digging in.

In what seems like no time, last call goes out to loud groans. Someone puts a jig on the jukebox and starts an impromptu dance. Rey's lost count of the number of pints she's had. Doesn't really matter because she's having fun. Rey finishes the night singing the last few stanzas and dancing with the rest of the bar's patrons.

Out on the sidewalk, cool air hits her face, sapping some of her good cheer. She's more drunk than she thought. It makes her giggle and feel like crying.

"You'd do well to catch a ride home, lass."

Rey jumps, startled by the little bartender.

"Go home. Sleep on it. The morning will bring fresh light to ya."

"Yeah, okay."

The little woman waits until Rey's Lyft arrives. It's a short ride home. She lets herself in, unsteady on her feet.

It's been hours since she allowed herself to check her phone. She's dreading it because she knows there'll be at least one message from him.

Rey changes into her pyjamas before daring to look. There are notifications from most of her social media accounts. Nothing from Slack.

Instead of making her feel better, it makes her heart pound.

Maybe she's wrong. Maybe he's just that good with his code structure and she's reading something into it that isn't there.

Drunk as she is, Rey hasn't quit her job just yet. She can still make the Monday deadline and finish the live demo. It'll make the clients happy. It'll make him happy, too. She thrills a little at that.

It takes a moment to log in remotely. While she waits for the connection, Rey pulls up a blank doc and starts rewriting his code.

The more she types the angrier she gets. He did this on purpose! Sent her on this wild goose chase through his work. Took time she could have spent with her friends. They all spent the day together enjoying each other's company while she waded through his little boondoggle. Mad as hell, her code morphs into an angry rant.

_Dear Mr. Solo,_

_Please accept my resignation from Alliance Software Solutions. I can no longer work for someone who thinks it's funny to waste my time on stupid games. You've gone too far this time. I'm the best person on your team and I do NOT appreciate being taken advantage of for your amusement._

_I've done more for Alliance in the last six months than you've managed to do in six years._

_Kessel Run. The Calrissian project. Savareen._

_SKYWALKER !!!_

_All me and you know it! And, what do I get for it? More work, longer hours, greater demands. You've never once shown a single bit of appreciation or said thanks._

Rey pauses to check her remote connection. It's on its third attempt. She goes back to her rant.

_Speaking of thanks, seeing you without your shirt on doesn't count, by the way!_

She giggles a little at that.

_In fact, I should report you to HR for that sexy little stunt you pulled last night. It was highly unprofessional and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you._

True fact.

_Also, your hair is just too fucking perfect. It makes me want to mess it up until you look as stupid as I feel. And, really? Do you work or just work out? Please. Those muscles don't just happen on their own. Do they??_

_Is your skin as soft as it looks? What's your secret? Fancy bath products? Expensive lotions?_

_It must be a sight, watching you rub it into your skin. What's your favourite scent? Something manly to make the ladies fall at your feet?_

_God, you're so fucking beautiful. I just want a little taste. Just one good, hard fuck up against the wall, skirt yanked up, panties dangling off the toes of one foot, pants around your ankles while you pound me until we both come._

_Phew._

_Okay. Anyway, probably shouldn’t send this. I'm obviously smashed but the good news is I feel better now that I've gotten all that off my chest and I've decided not to quit and to finish the Skywalker gig. So, yeah. See you tomorrow._

_I think I should probably sleep now._

Just as she's about to shut down, her laptop connects. Instead of going to bed like she should, Rey spends thirty minutes fixing his code. Five actually doing the work and twenty-five questioning herself over whether to hit submit.

The system gives her a two minute warning that she's about to be disconnected so it can run the nightly backup. Rey swallows hard, heart pounding, and submits the finished file. Less than a minute later, the connection breaks.

She manages to brush her teeth and fill her water glass before falling into bed.

Monday comes, bringing with it rain and a terrible, pounding headache. Things only get worse from there.

Her phone is blowing up, all her accounts except one showing multiple notifications. Dread churns her stomach sending her racing for the toilet. When she's finished, she brushes her teeth and takes a few cautionary sips of water.

There's only one person Rey wants to talk to.

There are six messages from Rose. No, make that seven, eight.

_Rose: rey!! if you don't answer in five minutes i'm calling the police! tell me you're okay!!_

Rey scans through her friend's previous messages, her stomach winding up to a second revolt.

"Oh no," she says to the empty room.

Rey pulls up her Drive account and goes searching for her doc. It's not there.

Oh, dear god, no. Just no. This cannot be happening.

She pokes a finger at the email icon and scrolls through to her sent files. It's all bad, what she finds.

_Rey: i'm here but i think my life is over_

_Rose: rey! are you ok? what is going on? tallie's saying you quit your job and that something happened between you and the boss. it's not true, is it?_

_Rey: oh god, rose. i really fucked up this time. I sent him a message on accident telling him i quit. what am i going to do?_

_Rose: what? why would you do that?_

_Rey: i was drunk and a little pissed about something that happened with the skywalker project. i never meant to send it. fuck. my life is over _😭

_Rose: tell him someone hacked your account! he can't prove they didn't!_

Rey feels the first faint glimmer of hope. It just might work.

_Rey: you're brilliant!_

_Rose: are you coming in today or what?_

_Rey: is he there rn?_

_Rose: he just showed up. went straight into his office and shut the door_

_Rose: hurry up and get your ass in here before you lose your job for reals_

_Rey: okay. I can do this. right? i can do this_

_Rose: just hurry up!_

She manages to nibble most of a slice of toast with Marmite while she's getting ready. When it stays down, she adds a few sips of water and two headache pills.

The bus ride over doesn't do her stomach any favours.

Rey's at her desk less than a minute when her intercom buzzes. The sound restarts the ache in her head.

"Ms. Niima. My office. Now."

Rey swallows hard, trying to keep the little bit of food and pain medication in her stomach where it belongs. Cold sweat dots her forehead. It's bad if he's calling her personally instead of having Tallie do it.

"Be right there, Mr. Solo."

Oh god, she's going to lose her job. The panic bubbling up turns to anger. Fine. Fuck this job. And fuck him, too.

Heat flushes across her cheeks. The thought of fucking him is exactly what got her into this mess in the first place. That and the fact that she's the best full stack developer on the team despite her unconventional background.

It's his fault for recognising the depth and breadth of her skills. She's always the first one he comes to when a new project is under consideration or there’s a tricky cross-platform issue to resolve.

It's also his fault for being so fucking hot, with his too-long hair and broad shoulders. Sex on a stick, as Rose likes to call him.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Solo?"

"Come in. Shut the door."

Shit. It's all over except for the firing and the panic and the walk of shame. She wonders if he'll give her time to get her things or if she'll have to ask Rose to do it.

"You're late," he says.

Anger flashes through her.

"I worked all weekend to finish the Skywalker demo. I needed a few hours of extra sleep."

"Apparently." He places a sheet of paper onto his desk in front of her. Bright yellow ink highlights a number of different blocks of text. "Care to explain this, Ms. Niima?"

It's her resignation-btw-i-want-to-fuck-you letter, printed out and marked up like an English exam.

"Someone hacked my account?" Her voice comes out high and squeaky.

He makes a small humming sound as he eases back in his seat.

"Well, then whomever this is must have also hacked into Alliance. The code at the top precisely matches the code overwrites on the Skywalker file you submitted. Perhaps I should locate this hacker and hire her to take your place since it seems you're keen to quit."

"I—_shit._ Mr. Solo, I can't even begin to tell you how embarrassing this is."

"Why are you embarrassed? It's true, isn't it? You're by far my best developer and I haven't given you nearly enough credit or shown enough appreciation for your work. Why shouldn’t you be upset at the lack of recognition?"

"What?" Why is he talking about her work instead of the real issue of her dreadful, thirsty message?

Her eyes dart to the offending paper. The yellow highlights only extend down the first third of the page, almost as if he's consciously ignored the raunchy parts.

"You really think I wasted your time on Skywalker?" He sounds disappointed.

Rey dares to meet his stare. Her heart drops because it certainly looks like disappointment darkening his face.

"Well, I mean, you knew exactly where the transposition was and you let me spend most of my weekend looking for it. So, yeah, a little bit of me feels used."

"Maybe I was wrong about you," he says with a hint of wonder.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought for sure you'd be the one to figure it out." He runs a hand through his hair then brings it to his face. His thumb and finger rest on either side of his chin. "Well, shit."

The mood changes, all his excited energy draining away. He leans forward, forearms coming to rest on the edge of his desk, fingers laced together.

"Thank you for all your hard work on the Skywalker project, Ms. Niima. I know you put in long hours to make the deadline. To show my appreciation, I'd like it if you'd take the rest of today off. Relax. Catch up on some sleep or TV shows or whatever it is you like to do in your spare time. Come back tomorrow. I have a new project I'd like you to look at now that Skywalker is finished."

Rey's had some weird conversations in her life but this one ranks at the top.

"Finished? Skywalker isn't finished." She pauses to shrug. "Well, I guess technically speaking, it's finished. But what about the rest of it? How are you going to join all the pieces? More importantly, what in the world are you planning to do with it? It’s brilliant, by the way."

His mouth drops open.

"It _is_ you!" he says.

"Is me, what? What are you talking about?"

She's beginning to feel like Alice down the rabbit hole. Curiouser and curiouser. Any second now she's either going to grow really really tall or really really small.

He rises from his chair and comes around to lean on the front edge of his desk. His long legs extend almost to hers. The muscles of his arms strain the seams of his shirt when he crosses them over his chest.

"You understand what it will be capable of when it's finished?" he asks.

Rey swallows hard. His eyes are on fire in a way she's never seen before. He's never been so alluring. Her hands itch to touch even a small part of him but she stays right where she is.

"In truth, the implications are somewhat terrifying. Will it work?" She does her best to ignore the rising energy and the way he's lit up with excitement.

"It does in theory, only I haven't been able to get beyond a certain point."

He uncrosses his arms and grips the edge of the desk so he can lean forward to size her up.

It makes her insides do that flip floppy thing again.

"I've been missing one major component." His eyes stop on hers. "Until now."

The flip flops morph into a freefall as his meaning sinks in. A wave of dizzying panic crashes through her.

"You're referring to me," she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm referring to Scarlet☆Ibis."

A black void opens in her stomach, threatening to swallow her. There's no use denying anything.

"When did you know?" Her heart’s pounding hard enough to crack ribs.

"I didn't know for sure until right now."

"How long have you suspected?"

"Since the Calrissian project. You have a very unique syntax to your code."

"Who else knows?"

"No one. Just me."

Rey's waiting for the White Rabbit to show up because surely this is a dream.

"What now?" she asks.

Ben smiles.

"Does that mean you want in?" he asks.

Rey's positive she died and this is her version of heaven.

"I want in."

He pushes off the desk to standing and holds out a hand.

"Come with me. I have something I want to show you."

There's no turning back now. She takes his hand.

He guides her through the main office toward the front door, holding her hand the entire time. She doesn't miss the looks of astonishment as they pass. Her phone buzzes in her back pocket, no doubt a series of frantic inquiries from Rose. Rey ignores them in favour of following his lead.

"Where are we going?" she asks once they've reached the sidewalk.

He's still holding her hand as they make their way in the direction of the parking garage.

"My place. Don't worry. My wife is out of town. Not that she'd care, just that she'd want to chat a bit if she were and I'd have to wait even longer before showing you what I want."

His _wife?_

If she had any doubts about being dead before, now she knows she is but this is not heaven. It's her own personal Hell.

He's suddenly very off limits. It cools much of her fire, leaving behind the hot embers of profound embarrassment. Her stupid, fucking letter. She's never been so mortified.

Rey stops and pulls her hand free.

"Wait. I don't think I can do this." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks anywhere but at him.

"What's wrong?" He sounds genuinely confused by her sudden shift in demeanour.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to go home with you if your wife isn't there."

"What does my wife have to do with—oh." Ben stops and runs a hand through his hair. "You didn't know."

"I'm so stupid." Traitorous tears prick her eyes. Christ, she's about to ugly cry right in front of him. Could this day get any worse? "I have to go."

She drops her arms and turns. Before she can run, he catches her by the wrist.

"Rey, wait."

Oh, god. It's the first time he's said her name.

She turns back to him and knows she's about to make the biggest mistake of her life. The naked want in his eyes scuttles the last of her rational thought.

When he tugs on her wrist, Rey takes a step closer. Then another until there's almost no space left between them.

"I can't believe I thought that maybe…" Rey sniffles but it's no use. The tears finally spill over. "Shit."

He's still holding her wrist only now the fingers of his other hand are sliding into her hair and he's close. So close.

"Maybe, what? Tell me what you were thinking."

It can't get any worse. It really can't.

"I thought maybe you were interested in me. Personally, I mean. Not just because of what I can do."

He lets go of her wrist to hold her face in both his hands. She has no choice but to look at him.

"Come home with me, please. Let me show you."

Rey curls her hands around his forearms, trying to regain some semblance of control. She stares at him through damp lashes.

A flash of lightning precedes a deluge of rain. Icy, stinging droplets soak them in seconds. They can’t stay out here. Rey makes a choice.

He drives like he codes, fluid and sleek. It’s mesmerising the way the car moves in tandem with his commands.

Rey tries not to gawk when they enter his apartment.

“Where are your towels?” she asks.

There’s already a small puddle forming around her shoes. She feels bad that most of the rainwater ended up on the seat of his car. It’ll ruin the beautiful leather.

“My bathroom.”

Of course, they are. Rey’s not falling for that.

“Would you mind getting them?” she asks.

When he leaves to retrieve the towels, Rey takes the full measure of his space. And, it is his space. His is the only personality present.

He returns in short order. His wet clothes cling to his skin and his damp hair is tousled from a quick toweling off. It’s so unfair how good looking he is.

“Here.” He hands her a stack of towels. “There’s a small bathroom next to the kitchen. I’ll bring you dry clothes.”

Rey locks the bathroom door and refuses to look at herself in the mirror while she strips and towels off. She’s shivering but dry when he knocks.

“Rey? I have clothes for you.”

She covers as much of her bare skin as she can with the towels before slipping a single hand through the small crack in the door.

“I’ll be in the kitchen making coffee.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Rey’s curious about what the clothes will tell her of Ben’s wife. Will she be bigger or smaller, shorter or taller than herself? Turns out it’s neither. These are his clothes. Everything is far too big but she doesn’t have a choice. Rey does her best to shorten the pants and knots the t-shirt low across her hips. The socks are a nice touch. Rey’s thankful when she pulls them over her frigid toes.

Dressed in dry clothes, Rey meets her reflection. She watches herself towel dry her hair before fixing it back into a messy bun. His scent rises from her borrowed clothes as she warms up. In the mirror, the pink already in her cheeks deepens and there’s nothing for it.

“Shit.” Rey gives herself a quick, stern pep talk about staying focused on his project and not on all the ways she wants to fuck him. When she’s finished, she takes a deep breath and gathers her pile of wet clothes, making sure her panties are tucked deep into the pocket of her jeans where they can’t fall out.

His back is to her as she approaches the kitchen. He’s changed into dark athletic pants and a dark gray jersey shirt with its long sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

Rey pauses to watch as he makes the coffee, enjoying the way his body moves under his clothes. So unfair. She has to get ahold of herself. They’re here to talk about his project and that’s all. Rey’s no homewrecker.

She makes a little more noise than necessary to alert him as she gets closer.

He turns to face her, leaning his ass against the counter.

“Thanks for the clothes,” she says. “It feels good to be dry. Do you have a bag or something I can put my wet things in?”

Rey stands beneath his appraising gaze, arms straight out, wet clothes bundled in her hands. Water drips from the soggy mess, forming a small puddle on the tile but she doesn’t care because, _fuck,_ why is he looking at her like that? Bright eyes touch every part of her before coming back to settle on hers.

“Sorry I don’t have anything in your size,” he says when he finishes his assessment.

“This is fine, really. Should I put these in the sink or something? The floor’s getting wet.”

She’s trying to keep this casual and he’s not cooperating.

He mumbles an apology then finds a reusable shopping bag for her things. She drops the soggy pile into the bottom while he holds it open.

There’s a brief tug of war when they both try to take the bag. He lets go giving Rey a chance to set it down. They reach for the kitchen towel at the same time, each grabbing an end.

He tugs gently but she doesn’t let go. He pulls harder until Rey has to actively resist stepping into his space. His free hand rises toward her.

“Don’t, please,” she says.

He drops his hand and releases the towel without a word.

Rey’s thankful for the distraction of mopping up the small pool of water. It gives her space to slow her breathing.

“There. Like it never happened,” she says as she rises. “This should go in the wash.”

He takes the dirty towel and stashes it away.

“Coffee?” he asks.

Rey swallows past the thundering pulse in her throat.

“I’d love some.”

“Milk? Sugar?”

“Black.”

“Me, too.”

She takes the cup he offers. The strong aromatic liquid heats her insides and soothes her unsettled emotions.

“This is really good, Mr. Solo,” she says.

He takes a sip, his eyes watching her over the rim of his cup.

"It's Ben." His cup goes on the counter.

"Okay."

“Can I show you why I brought you here?” he asks.

“Okay.” It comes out in a whisper as Rey tries to slow her racing thoughts.

She sets her own cup aside and takes his hand when he offers it. Rey lets him lead her down the hall. For a moment, she panics, thinking he’s about to take her into his bedroom. Instead, he takes her to a room farther down the hall.

He pulls her even with him as they approach and lets go of her hand, offering her entry first with a sweep of his arm.

Rey stops in the doorway, astounded by the little she can already see.

“Whoa. Is this for real?”

The excitement in his smile says it all.

“Go ahead. You’re welcome to touch anything you want.”

She wants to ask if he's included in the invitation but doesn't because she already knows the answer.

The temperature drops by fifteen degrees when she crosses the threshold. She doesn’t know where to look first. There’s so much it’s overwhelming.

Rey takes a slow path through the room, fingers trailing across sleek, sensitive glass and black stainless steel. Sliding here, tapping there, watching to see how the system reacts. Different screens light up as she asks for different feedback. She doesn’t need much time to understand that she is standing in front of something truly special.

“This doesn’t exist yet. Where did you get this?”

“I built it.”

Her eyes snap to his.

“You got past the parallax,” she says, her voice breathless. “How? It’s impossible.”

Ben approaches, his gaze dark with exhilaration. He stops a respectful distance away.

“That’s clearly not the case. You’re standing in front of it,” he says.

“How? How did you do it? You have to tell me!”

“I reprogrammed the Propeller to respond to eight independent interrupt lines which essentially zeros handling delay. One line signals the interrupt which allows the system to determine the nature of the event using the additional input lines. The code running in the other cores isn’t affected by the interrupt handling cog.”

She’s thunderstruck.

“It’s polling with a zero loop time.”

“Yes.”

“Holy shit.” The implications are astounding. “Ben, do you know what this means?”

He steps closer, edging into her personal space. His dark gaze pins her in place.

“Do you?” he asks.

Instead of answering, Rey turns her attention to the interface. Her fingers fly across the screens as she submerges into her darknet subspace. It takes very little time to secure the sections of code she wants to isolate.

Ben moves closer until he’s standing behind her looking over her shoulder. When she hits the critical point, he reaches around, caging her in his arms, and stills her hands. His heat warms the small space he leaves between them.

“Don’t move.” He pours the words into her ear, close and urgent.

She keeps still when he lets go of her hands even though her heart is ravening.

His fingers trace across the screen in front of them. When he’s done he steps away. Cool air rushes across her back into the space he’s vacated.

The room goes dark for a moment before a three dimensional rendering of the two pieces of code lights the room.

Rey’s mouth drops open. She steps aside from him, moving around the equipment console to stand in the middle of the rendering. Rey spins slowly, mapping the physical manifestation of the work.

“Do you see it?” she asks, awestruck. “Ben, do you _see_ it?”

“With absolute clarity.”

“All we have to do is—”

“Wait!” Excitement raises the tone of his voice. He fiddles with the inputs then looks to her. “Go ahead. It’s listening, waiting for you to tell it what to do next.”

The gravity of what she’s about to do hits her with a rush of power. It’s like nothing she’s ever felt before.

Rey stands in the space where the two renderings wait to join and begins to speak. The manifestations begin vibrating, their hard edges softening until thin strands of light streak from each into the open gap. It starts slow then picks up speed until the room strobes with cobalt light. There’s a flash as bright as lightning when her code bridge solidifies. The lack of heat and sound at the moment of integration leaves her disoriented.

Rey steps backward until she’s lost in the room’s shadows. She’s sweating and shaking.

“Oh, it’s beautiful," he says.

His words break her trance.

The display blinks out with dizzying speed. Regular light rises, giving the space a soft edge.

He stands unmoving at the console, his eyes locked on her.

Still high on the power, Rey’s at the precipice of losing control. Her hands ball into fists, the nails cutting into her palms. The discomfort isn’t nearly enough to stop her from charging at him until she’s close enough to touch him at last.

She slaps her open palms against his chest and pushes as hard as she can. The impact forces him back. His fingers curl around her wrists but he doesn’t try to free himself. Just before his back hits the wall, Ben tightens his grip and spins them until it's her back to the wall. Rey’s breath huffs out when his body sinks into her until he has her pinned.

They’re still except for quick, shared breaths. He lets go of one wrist to draw a light finger down her cheek to the corner of her mouth.

Rey’s breath stutters when he traces his fingertips across her lips.

He leans in, stopping her heart.

Rey turns her face aside. His lips land on a spot beneath her jaw instead of her mouth and she thinks it just might be worse than if she’d let him kiss her because, _fuck,_ he keeps sucking and nipping along her throat. She has to bite her lip to keep from making any noise.

Rey threads her fingers into his hair and pulls until he stops kissing her neck. It’s the exact opposite of her fantasies where she’s pulling him closer by his hair instead of pushing him away.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I got carried away in all the excitement,” she says.

“Me too, only I’m not sorry.” Even though he’s no longer touching her with his mouth, he’s still close enough that his words are hot against her skin.

“I can’t. You’re married.”

As soon as she pulls her fingers free of his hair, he angles back to look at her, his body still heavy against hers where he holds her in place.

“Why haven’t you asked me about her?”

“I don’t need to know anything beyond the fact that she’s your wife.”

He gives an amused little chuckle.

“Sometimes I forget how inexperienced you still are,” he says.

A small spike of anger flares up. She pushes her hands against his chest until a small gap opens between them.

“I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you’re implying,” she says.

“Not what I meant.”

“Well, then? What did you mean?”

“My wife and I lead separate lives, Rey. My wife prefers to carry on multiple affairs simultaneously. I prefer one at a time. Most importantly, in our ten years of marriage, we’ve never once shared the same bed.”

Her thoughts riot leaving Rey unsure of how to respond.

“You’re shocked. I can see it,” he says.

“Why would you marry someone you didn’t intend to share your life with?”

“I promise to tell you everything later.” He tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear then lays his hand on her cheek. “Right now, the only thing I want to do is pick you up and carry you to my bed.”

A deep stab of excitement leaves Rey clinging to the thinnest edge of restraint. Integrity is one of the few things that others can’t steal from her.

“Is there already someone else?”

“No one. Just you.”

She’s not sure if he’s telling the truth about any of it and no longer cares. Rey lays one hand over his where it rests on her cheek. The other slides into his hair. This time she lets herself enjoy the smooth silken strands as they card through her fingers.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks.

She tightens her fingers, pulling him closer in invitation.

He lets out an excited little breath that scrambles her insides then his mouth is on hers, warm and gentle. He pulls away just enough to wet her lips with his tongue. The faint taste of coffee grows richer when he strokes deep into her mouth.

Rey’s helpless to resist when he bends to wrap strong arms behind her thighs so he can hoist her off the floor. She wraps her legs tight around his waist.

Ben holds her back to the wall. His hips cant toward her, letting her feel the hard length of him while he kisses her.

Overwhelmed, she breaks away and clings to him. They’re both breathing hard.

Rey curses when he rocks into her. She barely has time to catch her breath before he’s kissing her again, frenzied and furious. Rey clings tighter against the sensation of falling.

His lips find the soft place beneath her ear.

“Rey, please, come to bed with me or tell me to stop.”

She can’t find her voice. It’s lost beneath the thrill of his mouth against her skin.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he whispers between fevered kisses.

“No, don’t stop.”

It’s all the invitation he needs. He shifts his grip then pulls her away from the wall.

Arms and legs wrapped around him, Rey rests her chin on his shoulder and watches the room retreat as he carries her to his bedroom. He places little kisses along her shoulder while he walks.

His room is warmer than the equipment room. After a few steps, he turns to sit on the edge of his bed with her in his lap. He catches the hem of her shirt in his fingers and tugs.

“Take it off,” he says.

It’s easy to remove the too-large t-shirt.

Warm hands come to rest along her ribs.

“Look at you. So beautiful.”

His hands slide around to her back. He runs them along her skin, urging her closer.

Rey buries her face against his neck. He smells of autumn rain. She rocks into him, thrilling at the sound he makes. Her hips roll again and again until she’s panting hot against his skin.

He hums in appreciation.

"Little minx, taking what you want."

Rey presses her lips beside his ear. "Take off your clothes," she says.

He curses under his breath before leaning back to peel his shirt off.

Rey's caught off guard when he settles his hands around her waist and shifts them farther onto the bed. She's still straddling his lap when he bridges his hips, rising beneath her like a wave to ride them up even higher so that his entire body rests on the bed. The friction sets her skin on fire.

He urges her up until she rises to her knees above him. It gives him space to hook his thumbs into his waistband and tug his pants down enough to kick them off. He's left wearing little boxer briefs.

Rey isn't wearing panties. She's sure there's never been anything more erotic than the thought of grinding against him through the clothes they still wear.

"Leave them on," she says when he moves to take off the shorts.

"On?" He pauses, one side of the shorts pulled down. The exposed skin is smooth and hairless.

Rey swallows hard. "On."

He eases the shorts back into place and reaches for her waist. Rey lets him guide her back into his lap. He waits until she settles closer before he reaches toward her face.

"Come here," he says.

She leans forward until she's close enough for him to curl his hand behind her neck.

Ben raises his shoulders off the bed, rising to meet her.

Rey kisses him, pushing into him until he lays back. Her bare skin touches his. He's hot and electric beneath her.

He whispers her name.

Rey pulls away and sits up. She shifts her weight, resettling into a more comfortable position.

Ben groans and pushes his hips up for more friction. His hands are back at her waist.

She braces her palms on the broad expanse of his chest, holding herself up while she gives her hips a slow, repeating roll. The extra material from her pants frustrates her. It gets in the way, dampening the feel of him.

It takes a few awkward moves to ease her pants down her hips.

When he realises she's undressing, he helps her pull them off, leaving her nude except for her socks.

Rey makes a show of taking her time settling into his lap. She lets their bodies touch through his shorts for just a moment, pulling away before he can respond with more than a sharp intake of breath. She does it again, touching a moment longer before rising out of range.

His hands tighten around her waist.

"Little minx. Come back here."

Rey settles in his lap, this time to stay.

His hands slide to her hips giving him leverage to move her against him.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he says.

Rey lets him set the pace. Soon, he has her rocking in his lap while he grinds up. The front of his shorts grows damp.

He lets go of one hip, freeing his fingers to brush through the neat patch of hair between her legs. The pad of his thumb parts her swollen flesh until he finds what he wants.

Rey hisses when he strokes her with his thumb and cock. He brings her to the edge so fast there's no time to prepare.

"ohgod—ohgod—ohgod—" Her body hitches with release.

"That's it. Come for me." He purrs the words.

It's over fast, dissipating as quickly as an electrical discharge. She's left wound up and unsatisfied.

"Fuck." Rey grinds against him chasing after the fading orgasm, desperate for more. Strands of loose hair stick to her cheeks.

"Mmmm, still so ready," he says.

She claws at his shorts. Together they get them off.

Ben sits up until they're facing each other. He braces one hand on the bed. The other wraps around her back. He pushes up with one hip until she rolls beneath him. Ben eases her onto her back, slotting his wide hips between her thighs.

He kisses her, his cock pressed hard against her inner thigh.

Rey's nails drag across his shoulder for purchase as she arches into him.

"Please, fuck me." She's begging, shameless.

He buries his face against her neck, licking and sucking and driving her to the edge of madness.

"This isn't fucking, Rey," he whispers.

"Oh god."

It's so good, the way he kisses her. She gasps into his mouth when his fingers brush across her nipple.

His breath quickens with each moan he draws from her.

She lets out a startled breath when he shifts his weight and slides down enough to suck her nipple between his lips. It's electric, sending her hips forward. His cock slips away.

Ben licks her other nipple before sliding lower to place a kiss above her navel.

Rey grabs him by the face, halting his descent.

He lets her guide him back to her breasts.

She pushes up into him when he pinches one between his lips and sucks. Her palms settle on his shoulders.

He waits for her to relax before easing himself back between her thighs. His cock comes to rest against the hottest part of her.

He rises up so he can look at her. He's still except for his eyes.

At last, he shifts his weight forward, easing the head of his cock inside. His eyes fall shut with a low groan that matches hers. He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip.

Ben takes a shaky breath and opens his eyes.

"No, don’t," Rey says when he draws out. She moves her hands from his shoulders to his ass and pulls.

His cock misses the mark, skidding along her slick channel.

"Fuck, I'm so close," he says.

"It's okay."

He sits back on his heels and pulls her up until her ass rests against his inner thighs. It gives him the perfect angle.

He sweeps his thumb through her slick folds until he finds the place that makes her moan loudest. Once there, he lines his cock up and pushes, holding at the edge of resistance.

She rocks, hips raised, trying to take him inside.

"Open your eyes," he says.

She doesn't remember closing them. Rey opens them to find him staring at her with raw, searing emotion.

He stops touching her to brush the back of his hand across her cheek before threading their fingers together.

She lets him pin her hands to the mattress.

Ben changes position so he can lower himself onto his forearms. He touches his forehead to hers then kisses her long and slow. They're still touching but he's barely moving.

Rey tightens her grip on his hands.

"Please."

He breaks their kiss, pulling back enough to meet her eyes. At last, he pushes back in, eyes locked on her as he eases in slow.

She watches his expression glaze while he sinks deeper.

They're both panting.

His head drops to her shoulder when he bottoms out. He's trembling.

"Ben, _please._"

"Oh, god."

He draws back with a quick pull then pushes in again. Sensation arcs across her nerves, igniting into a wild inferno. He steadies his pace.

Her second orgasm edges over the horizon when he bends down to graze her nipple with his teeth. She raises her hips, beginning to meet his thrusts.

He keeps up his slow rhythm while he plays with her nipples, licking and biting and sucking until she's delirious.

"I'm going to come," she manages to whisper before she loses her ability to do anything but feel. Her orgasm crests before breaking over her in a long rolling wave that steals her breath and tunnels her vision.

He doesn't stop, doesn't slow down.

All she can do is come, breathless little ohs spilling from her open mouth each time her body tightens around him.

"Fuck. Oh my god." His voice is ragged.

Ben thrusts one last time and goes still, buried to the hilt inside her. He makes the sweetest little noises as he comes.

It takes a long time before their breathing slows. At last, he withdraws making them both moan. He kisses her once then rolls onto his back, pulling her with him until she’s on top of him. After pulling the blanket over them, Ben brushes damp strands of hair out of her eyes before tucking his face against her neck.

“You’re so beautiful when you come,” he whispers against her skin.

His hands stroke her hair and skin, sliding across her back and over the curves of her ass.

It's too much. Rey bursts into tears.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" He brushes tears from her cheeks. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"God, no. I—it's never been like that before. With anyone," she says. "It's all just a little overwhelming, is all."

He hums and wraps her in a warm, tight embrace.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it, too," he says. “Please stay.”

Rey settles her cheek into the hollow of his shoulder and brushes away the last of her silly tears. She takes a deep breath, trying to think everything through. He’s still her boss. He’s still married. She still doesn’t care. What’s done is done and staying the night won’t make this any better or worse than it already is. He’s so warm and strong beneath her, it’s an easy choice.

“Okay. I’ll stay tonight.”

Ben takes her face in his hands until she has to look at him. His eyes sweep across her with an intensity that threatens to incinerate her.

“I’m not asking for just tonight.” He places a light kiss on her mouth before finishing. “We can take our time, get to know one another. I want to know you, Rey, everything about you.”

She can’t remember a time when she’s felt as warm and safe as she does in this moment. Rey smiles at the same time her stomach growls.

“Can we start by getting something to eat?”

**Author's Note:**

> I had sooo much fun with this one!! 
> 
> Thanks for the reads and kudos and comments!


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